CSI NY gone wild
by FriendsLovers
Summary: In this story the whole team, Danny, Lindsay, Mac, Stella, Flack and Hawkes go on vacation to a place somewhere deep in the wilderness of Alaska. What will happen between Danny and Lindsay when they are that close together for five days? DL
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: In this story the whole team, Danny, Lindsay, Mac, Stella, Flack and Hawkes go on vacation to a place somewhere deep in the wilderness of Alaska. What will happen between Danny and Lindsay when they are that close together for five days?**

**Rating: T**

**Paring: D/L of course**

**Disclaimer: I say it once: I don't own any of the characters, I don't own CSI:NY.**

It was early in the morning when a group of six persons, four men and two women, entered the airport of Anchorage, Alaska. This six persons, all CSIs from New York, had a long flight behind them. They wanted to spend almost a week in the Alaskan wilderness, and from the looks on their faces it was not clear if everyone of them was happy about that.

One day before:

It was around ten o'clock in the morning when Lindsay entered Mac's office where her co-workers, Danny, Flack, Stella, and Hawkes, were already sitting, fighting against the urge to just fall asleep. The last few days had been hard for all of them. They had had a very difficult case which cost hours of work until they finally could close it around two hours ago. They all were exhausted now, after working multiple shifts, one after the other. And then, half an hour ago, Mac had told them to meet him in his office, because he needed to talk to them.

Lindsay was a little annoyed about that, after such a long shift she just wanted this- going home and sleeping for the next hours. But no, now she had to stay here.

When Lindsay entered the office, her eyes instantly locked with Danny's who locked up when he heard her coming in. Lindsay couldn't help but blush. She had no idea, why he always had this effect on her. Every time he look at her with this gorgeous blue eyes, her knees went weak and shivers went up and down her spine. And she was pretty sure that he knew which effects he had on her. Why else did he always look at her like this? With this grin that drove her crazy? And why did it happen so often that he accidentally touched her while they were working together? Yes, he definitely knew what he did to her with that, and she was sure that he enjoyed teasing her like this.

Lindsay sat down on the only free place next to him, feeling his eyes still resting on her. But before he could make any comment, Mac finally entered his office.

"Good morning, everybody." He greeted them, obviously in a good mood, and Lindsay wondered how it was possible, that they all could hardly keep their eyes open while he looked like he had a free day yesterday.

"I think you all want to know why you are here after so many hours of work." He continued.

"Oh, no, it's nice to sit here, much nicer than going home and sleeping." Danny mumbled.

Mac ignored this comment and went on, "Well, I have to say, the last few days hadn't been easy for us. But the end we have been successful. I'm proud of my time, and I think all we need now is some free time. And that's why we'll go on vacation." Mac stopped to see the reaction of his five CSIs. He couldn't help but grin when the first tired look changed into an excited one.

"Oh, what? We go on vacation?" Flack asked?

"When? And where? And how long?" Danny asked, not less excited.

Mac waited a moment until the first storm of questions had stopped and then continued, "We'll go on vacation for almost a whole week, better said, for five days. Our flight is tomorrow."-

"Wait." Stella interrupted him. "Our flight?" Mac nodded.

"Yes. We'll fly to Alaska. A friend of mine has some land there, with two small holiday houses. We can use them for free, we just have to pay the flight."

When Lindsay heard saying Mac that they'd spend their vacation in Alaska, her eyes widened.

"Oh, really? We'll go to Alaska?" Then she noticed the looks on her co-workers faces.

"What?" She asked, confused about the less happy reactions of them.

"Montana, I don't know what you know about Alaska." Danny replied. "But there's nothing else than...nothing. Just nature, where ever you look." Lindsay couldn't hold back a chuckle. Oh yes, for her going on a vacation to Alaska was great, but for a guy like him who was used to a huge city like New York, it was just boring. And imagining Danny somewhere nowhere in the wilderness was awesome.

"So, you don't want to go to Alaska, or what?" She asked, still laughing. "Or are you just afraid of the Grizzly bears?"-

"Are you kidding me?! Grizzly bears- as if I'm afraid of them!" He said, although his look said that he was thinking in the complete opposite way, what made her laughing even harder. She couldn't wait to see how he'd handle the situation in Alaska.

"So, you really want to go on vacation...to Alaska?" Flack asked.

"Yes." Mac answered. "And if that's not okay to you, you also could stay here. But at work, not at home."

That was indeed what nobody of them wanted, and so they finally decided to fly to Alaska the next day.

Now, a few hours after their plane had started in New York, the six, Mac, Stella, Danny, Lindsay, Flack and Hawkes, had finally reached the airport of Anchorage. They had slept during the flight but still were tired. In Lindsay's eyes, Mac's idea of spending some time here, was great, a few days in the quiet nature was exactly what they needed now.

After they had taken their suitcases the small group left the airport. But they hadn't reached their target yet. Mac lead them to a huge van.

"Mac, have you ever stayed here at your friend's holiday house?" Lindsay asked. Mac nodded.

"Yes. It's not far away from here, just an hour with the car."

„Only one hour with the car?" Danny asked hopefully. "That means we are not too far away from civilization."-

"Of course." Lindsay said, holding back a chuckle. If he knew that one hour away from a town in Alaska could also mean in the middle of a deep forest… But he'd see that early enough.

So they sat down in the car and Mac started the motor. After a short time they left the city and followed a long, endless highway which lead them directly into the Alaskan nature. Lindsay was staring out of the window the whole time, soaking in the beautiful sight. It was so wonderful, driving on this long street, surrounded by huge forests and endless fields. Lindsay couldn't deny that the landscape reminded her of her old home in Montana. As much as she loved living in New York, she also missed the country she had lived in for her whole life. So the vacation to Alaska was exactly what she needed.

After a while Lindsay separated her look from the landscape and looked at her co-workers. Stella in the front seat was reading a magazine, while Danny and Flack, who were sitting next to her, had fallen asleep again. Only Hawkes was enjoying the beautiful view. Lindsay wondered how her co-workers would behave when they learnt that they were somewhere in the wilderness, without any luxury, without the familiar noises from the city. But after a while they'd enjoy it, Lindsay was sure about that.

After almost an hour Mac suddenly left the highway to drive on a much smaller street which lead them deeper and deeper into the forest. After a few more minutes he finally stopped the car. Lindsay looked at Flack and Danny who were still asleep, and then shared a short glance with Hawkes, who nodded. Without a warning both of them shouted at the same time, "Wake up!!!"

Within a second, both Danny and Flack were awake, trying to remember where they were while Lindsay and Hawkes laughed so hard that they almost cried.

"Whoa, Montana, what was that for? Do you want to kill me?" Danny asked after a minute of shock.

"I'm sorry." She answered, still laughing. "But we are there. Time to get off the car." With that she opened the car's door and stepped outside. What she saw made her just breathless. The little place was incredibly beautiful. They had parked at the end of the small road, which ended near a big river flowing through the forest. At the edges of the river there was a beach out of pebbles which reached to a small slope. On this slope she saw the two small houses standing- cute little houses, out of wood. A cool wind was blowing through the trees and the sound of the river made Lindsay sigh. How great was that?

"Oh my god, Mac! That's so wonderful!" Lindsay said, turning around to her boss who was smiling, happy that at least Lindsay was enjoying their trip. Then she looked back at Danny and Flack who were now leaving the van.

"You still don't want to be here?" She asked Danny, grinning provokingly.

Danny, who couldn't help thinking how sweet she looked with her huge, excited eyes, sighed and then said, "Yeah, yeah, Montana, it's really nice, although it's a little too quiet for my taste. But I think a week here is okay." When he saw her eyes sparkling even more, he couldn't hold back a grin. She was like a little child on Christmas. He was still not really happy about this trip, but he knew how important it was for her and so he decided to not ruin this.

"So, and this on top of the slope are our two houses?" Stella then asked, pointing up the slope. Mac nodded.

"Yes, there's enough space for three, I think. So we now could talk about who wants to share which house."

He looked at his CSIs, obviously with a clear imagination who could go into with house, when Flack suddenly said, "Oh, that's not that difficult I think. We have to women, and I think we should share them. Danny and I will take Lindsay and you two take Stella. And we'll take the right house."

When she heard what Flack was saying, Lindsay mouth fell open. What? She should share a house together with these two? Especially- together with Danny? From the look and the grin on Flack's face she could tell that he did this with pure intention. With a short look at Danny she noticed that he obviously was as surprised as she was. But what to do now? She wasn't sure how to handle a whole week that close together with him, even the thought made her blushing and her heart beating faster. But saying that she didn't want that was just childish. And, if she was honest, maybe it also could be very nice. Lindsay instantly stopped this thought before it could get any further. No, they were just co-workers and friends. Of course they could share this house.

"If that's okay to you." Flack added.

When nobody said anything, Mac answered, "Yes, I think that's a good idea. So lets take our suitcases and lets have a look at our houses." With that he headed to the back of the car, the others following.

When Lindsay tried to pull her suitcase out of the car she suddenly heard a voice behind her.

"May I help you?" Danny asked, taking her suitcase. But after he had freed it, he didn't give it back to her, instead of that he took his own one and headed to their little house.

"Danny, I can do this on my own." Lindsay said, following him.

"Oh, no, you don't have to. Well, Don and I want that you enjoy your trip here. We'll treat you like a queen. That's at least what I'll do." He said with a smile.

Well, normally this was indeed really nice, but there was something in Danny's eyes that made Lindsay a little nervous. Why did she have the feeling that there was much more he was planning for her? Or better said, for them?

Lindsay sighed deeply, following Danny and Flack to their house. This would be a long week.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews! Here's chapter 2.**

When they reached their small holiday house, Lindsay a little embarrassed, because Danny was carrying both, his and her suitcase, Flack put the key into the keyhole to open the door. But this wasn't that easy, because he had to push twice against the door until it finally flew open with a horrible noise.

"And, how is it?" Lindsay asked, not seeing anything because Danny and Flack were standing in front of her.

"Nice." Flack just answered, letting his two friends in.

"Nice?!" Lindsay then asked, soaking in what she was seeing. They were now standing in the living room. The walls were painted in warm colours. At the left side of the room were three huge, white couches. On the floor lay several red, brown and yellow coloured carpets. The living room directly lead into the small kitchen which looked very similar to the kitchen Lindsay's parents had back home on their farm. Next to the kitchen were wooden stairs.

"Oh, this is so beautiful!" Lindsay shouted. "Lets look what's upstairs."-

"Haha, very funny." Danny replied, still fighting with the two suitcases. Without saying a word Lindsay grabbed hers and then started her way up the stairs.

Upstairs they found four more small rooms, three living rooms and one bathroom. When Lindsay entered the first of the bedrooms she immediately fell in love with it. From here she had a view directly onto the river and even with closed windows she could here the sound of the water.

"Well, I think, this is my room." Lindsay decided, looking back at the two men standing in the doorframe.

"What?" Flack asked with a played pout. "Who said that you can decide who gets which room?"-

"Never heard about 'ladies first'?" Lindsay shot back, grinning.

"Oh, wow, Monroe." Flack answered, still trying to look serious. "Now I'm not sure anymore if taking you with us was such a good idea. What do you say, Danny?"-

"I'd say we give her this room and look for the other two." Danny just replied, starting to push Flack out of Lindsay's room. Flack rolled his eyes.

"Oh, you can be really boring!"-

"Yeah, yeah, come on now." With that they finally left the small bedroom and closed the door behind them.

After they had left her alone Lindsay sighed in relief. God, this two could be really exhausting, she had no idea how to manage almost a whole week together with them in this small house. From the room next door she could hear 'What, you think you can have this room? No, Danny, forget it! Ah, why is nobody listening to what I want?!'. Lindsay shook her head, letting out a light chuckle. 'Guys', she thought. Then she threw her suitcase onto her bed and went to the window to open it. A fresh breeze went in, tangling with her hair. She could smell the smell of the river and the trees. 'Like home', she thought and closed her eyes, taking in the smells and noises which were surrounding her. She was really thankful for this trip. And the situation with Danny? She would handle it. Although the tension between them almost drove her crazy. She couldn't really describe what was going on between them. But every time they were in the same room it was there, what ever it was.

Lindsay didn't know how long she had stood at the window when she suddenly could here how someone started to open her door. This someone tried to be as quiet as possible, but the old wooden doors caused noises anyway.

"Come in." Lindsay then said, turning around to see Danny in her doorframe.

"Sorry." He said. "I wasn't sure if you are sleeping."-

"So, what can I do for you?" She asked.

"Oh, much." Danny said without thinking, but when he saw Lindsay's eyes went big, he added, "Well, I just wanted to ask you if you want to take the first shower. You know, ladies first." Lindsay couldn't hold back a chuckle.

"Yes, I'll go first." She said.

"Okay." Danny answered, already on his way to leave her again, when he turned back again and said, "Oh, and I promise to not come in." Then, with a grin, he completely left her room and closed the door again. Lindsay just rolled her eyes. 'You better do not dare that', she thought.

--------------------------------------------

A few minutes later when Lindsay had gotten into the bathroom, Danny and Flack were again back downstairs, sitting on the couches.

"Do you think Mac has any plans for us today?" Flack asked.

"No idea, what about you go and ask him?" Danny replied. With a groan Flack stood up.

"Why me? Why always me?" He mumbled while heading to the door.

After he had left the house Danny was alone, sitting on the couch. What could he do now? There was nobody here, and if he was honest he was now just too lazy to stand up and to go out. And Lindsay? Well, she was now in the bathroom, the shower was already running, but from the sound of the water he could tell that she wasn't standing under it yet. Maybe she was now taking of her clothes. With that in mind, Danny's thoughts instantly went a little further, imagining her standing in the bathroom, naked. 'Wow, stop it, Messer', he told himself. 'Don't think about her in this way.' He tried hard to focus on something else, but the thought was still present in his mind. Then he suddenly heard how the constant sound of the water changed- obviously she had now entered it. While he was listening to the sound of the shower Danny couldn't deny that his heart started beating faster. He couldn't help but imagining how the hot water was hitting her perfectly formed body. The more he thought about her, the more the picture of Lindsay in the shower became clearer in his mind, the more he got hotter and hotter. 'What's happening to you?', he asked himself. 'You are just hearing someone in the shower and it makes you feel like this?' He had always known that she was hot. From the first time he had seen her. And he loved how she reacted when he looked at her, when he was teasing her. But this had only been fun, although he'd always known that she was definitely a special women, and that he wished there could happen more between them. But he wasn't sure if he was the right man for her. He didn't want to hurt her, this would ruin their friendship, that was clear, and she was way too important for him to risk that. But now? It had happened many times before that his heart had beaten faster when he had looked at her, when he had heard her voice, when he had smelled her. But that she had such an arousing effect on him was indeed new. Still listening to the shower, Danny thought that the next one who'd have a shower would definitely be him. A cold shower. He tried hard to not listen to this anymore, but wasn't really successful with that. 'Oh, boy, what is she doing to you?', he thought.

When he finally decided to stand up and to leave the house because he couldn't handle this situation anymore suddenly the front door went open again and Flack stepped in.

"Mac wants to talk to us in half an hour." He said. Then he noticed the look on his best friend's face and asked, "Are you okay?"-

"Oh, yes, sure." Danny answered, thankful for the interruption of his thoughts.

"Looks like Lindsay finally finished her shower." Flack then said. Now Danny also noticed that the shower wasn't running anymore. 'Finally', he thought.

When Lindsay a few minutes later came down the stairs she found Danny and Flack sitting on the couches.

"There you are finally." Flack shouted. "Mac wants to meet us in around half an hour. And that's why I'm the next who takes a shower." With that he jumped up, running up the stairs.

Danny who also had the same plan, had totally forgotten that. He just looked at Lindsay who was standing there in the living room, wearing a shirt and jeans, her hair still wet. And again he couldn't deny that his Montana was one of the sexiest women he had ever met.

--------------------------------------------

When Lindsay noticed the look Danny gave her after she had entered the living room she was a little confused. There was something in this look she couldn't interpret right now. How much she wished that she now could read his thoughts. She didn't know that it was much better for her that she didn't know what at this moment was going on in his mind.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for reviewing! Here's chapter 3!**

A few minutes later, when Flack had already started the shower, Lindsay was still standing in the middle of the living room, both, her and Danny, staring at each other. Danny couldn't stop staring at the woman in front of him. All the thoughts which had been running through his mind while she had been under the shower were still present. 'God, stop looking at her like this!' he desperately told himself.

Lindsay, who could feel that every minute they were looking at each other like this just made the situation more and more embarrassing, finally decided to break the silence between them and said, "So, Flack said that Mac wants to meet us? I wonder what he has planned for us. In my eyes it's early enough if he starts his program for us tomorrow. After the last few days and then this flight we really need some rest." Separating her look from his she went into the kitchen to take something to drink.

When she had left the living room, Danny sighed relieved. Maybe she didn't know that, but she had rescued him. To not fall back into this embarrassing silence he answered, "Yes, that's right. At least this one day we could use for us. At the moment I just want to sleep."

A chuckle came from the kitchen, then Lindsay appeared in the living room again.

"You just want to sleep?" She said, still grinning. "Oh, come on, you slept during the whole flight and almost the whole time in the car."-

"Yeah, you said it, I slept in a plane and in a car. That's not that comfortable." Danny replied, thankful for this conversation- and for the fact that Lindsay didn't ask him why he had stared at her like an idiot before.

"Oh, I understand." Lindsay shot back, enjoying that now it was her turn to tease him. "You need a warm bed to sleep, right? Then of course you should go upstairs now. I'll tell Mac that you can't come because you are sleeping." With that she headed to the door, still grinning at him.

"Very funny, Montana. You treat me like a child. Very nice." Danny answered in played anger, trying hard to stay serious. "But anyway, we could go over to Mac's now. I think Don will find his house alone."-

"You sure?" Lindsay asked while opening the door when both, she and Danny broke out in laughter.

Another hour later after Mac had told his team what he was planning for them for the following five days, he said, "So, that's what we'll do from tomorrow on. I think today you can do whatever you want, enjoy your free time, maybe sleep a little. Tomorrow we'll discover the area around here, so we'll be on tour for several hours."-

"So, you want us to run through the forest tomorrow?" Danny asked, again not really glad about that. "Oh, come on Mac, what there to see? Just one tree next to another. I'm sure there's much more we can do here."-

"Yes." Stella agreed. "For example we could go to Anchorage again."

Lindsay couldn't hold back a chuckle. This was so typical for Stella. A shopping tour in Anchorage was much more her taste, and that a simple walk through the forest was too boring for Danny was sure. She looked at Mac, who looked like he was becoming angry the longer he listened to his CSIs comments.

"Well, I arranged this trip." He then started. "And I have been her a few times before. I know what we can do here, and so I decide what we'll do. If you agree, good, come with me, if not, okay, but then you have to stay here."-

"But Mac." Danny made a last try. "Of course you have to decide, you're the boss. But just going for a walk is...boring."-

"Oh, I'd not say that." Lindsay now said, grinning at the man in front of her. "You forgot the Grizzly bears."-

"You and your Grizzly bears." Danny groaned, rolling his eyes. "I'm sure we'll not see even one of them while we are here."-

"Don't be too sure, Danny." Mac said with a serious look. "This is the Alaskan wilderness, here live tons of wild animals, and bears are among them. I'm sure we'll meet some if we have luck."

When he heard that, Danny couldn't hide how his eyes widened in surprise. Lindsay had to bite onto her lower lip to not laugh when she noticed the light fear in his eyes. From what she knew he had never been in the wilderness before, and being that close to nature was new for him. Anyway Lindsay couldn't hold back a comment.

"Don't be afraid, Messer, I'll protect you if a Grizzly attacks you." She said, looking into his eyes to see his reaction. From the look on his face she could tell that at the moment he just wanted to attack her, but instead of that he just said, "Sure."

Before Lindsay could realize that this 'Sure' wasn't the last word which was spoken about this, Mac tried to get his friend's attention back with clearing his throat.

"Okay, after we talked about that I'd say everyone can now do what he or she wants. As you already saw we have two kitchens, and there's enough to eat for the following days, so you have to cook on your own. We'll meet here tomorrow morning at 9:00 am." Ignoring Flack's groan about how early they had to get up he stood up, the others following him.

When Lindsay had left Mac's house she suddenly felt a hand on her back. Before she could turn around she heard a whispering voice in her ear saying, "You sure you have to protect me, Montana? Maybe you are the one who needs to be protected." With a thoughtful look in his eyes Danny let her standing were she was, following Flack to their house to finally get the sleep he needed. Lindsay stood there for a moment, just staring at him until she then also got back to her house.

After she had made herself a sandwich, so that she had at least a little bit food in her stomach, she went upstairs to her bedroom, glad that she didn't meet Danny or Flack, who had already gone into their own rooms. After taking of her clothes and changing into a large t-shirt and short pants, Lindsay finally lay down in her bed. It was a few hours after midday, but the sun wasn't shining and Lindsay was so tired that it didn't matter what time it was. While lying in her bed she suddenly realized how tired she was. She closed her eyes, listening to the sound of the river outside until she fell asleep a minute later.

Lindsay didn't know for how many hours she had slept. When she opened her eyes she just realized that it was dark in her room. Lindsay blinked a little, but she couldn't notice anything in her room. What time was it? She had absolutely no idea, but it was fall and they were in Alaska, so maybe it was evening. Then Lindsay suddenly noticed that she wasn't alone in her room. There was another person, she couldn't see him or her, but she could feel the person's presence. Within a second she shot up.

"Who is there?" She shouted, only feeling a hand on her shoulder which made her jump.

"Whoa, everything okay, Montana, it's just me." She heard Danny's low voice next to her ear. She blinked again, now seeing his figure next to her bed. She was glad that he couldn't see her now, just in her shirt and her short pants, but she anyway wrapped the blanket a little tighter around her.

"What time is it?" She asked, calming down again. "And, what are doing here?"-

"Okay, to your first question, it's already 7:00 pm." Danny answered, his hand still resting on her shoulder. "And to your second question- I just wanted to know if everything's okay with you. Don and I have already cooked something for dinner, not the best meal ever, but it's okay I'd say. He's at Mac's, he, Sheldon, Mac and Stella are playing poker."-

"And why are you not there?" Lindsay asked, really wondering why he was in her room instead of playing with the others.

"Well." Danny started, obviously searching for the right words. "I... I don't want to play that now. But I wanted to ask you if maybe you wants to join them."-

"And if not?" Lindsay asked, excited for his answer.

"Then" Danny replied, "maybe we could do something together. Okay, there's not much to do here, but anyway."-

"Sounds good." Lindsay agreed before he could say more. "What do you think? We could take something from your dinner and then we could sit down at the river. I did that several times back in Montana."-

"Okay." Danny said, standing up. "So, get dressed, I'll take some food. We meet at the river." With that he left the room. Lindsay waited for a second before she finally stood up and put on her clothes and a warm jacket.

Only a few minutes later, after she had reached the river where Danny was already awaiting her, she sat down next to him. He had taken a candle with him, in a glass to protect it because of the strong breeze which was blowing now, to gave them some light. Lindsay couldn't deny that this was romantic.

They were sitting next to each other silent while eating the rest of the dinner. They could hear the voices of the others coming from Mac's house, the wind in the trees and the constant sound of the water.

"Do you still think that it was a bad idea to come here?" Lindsay asked after a while. She looked at Danny who was looking at the river, the light of the candle dancing on his face.

"Well, I'd not say that I was not happy about that." He answered. "It's just... I'm not used to so much quiet and so much nature."-

"I know. But you can't deny that it's really nice here."-

"Of course it's nice here." Danny said and then looked at her before he added, "It doesn't matter where I am, if in the city or in the deep wilderness, as long as you are there, too, it must be great."

Lindsay didn't know what to answer now. She looked deep into his eyes to find out if this was just a joke, but obviously he meant every word he said.

"Thank you." She then said. She pulled her jacket a little higher, freezing in the cold breeze. Without saying a word Danny got a little closer to her and pulled her slowly into his arms. And Lindsay didn't pull back, no, she just let herself fallen against him, enjoying the warmth of him next to her.

There were sitting like this for many minutes. This situation between them was different. The tension between them was there, definitely, but there was also something else. Another feeling. They both had no idea what it was. But it was nice, and they both enjoyed being that close to each other. Obviously there was much more between them than they had ever expected.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: I just want to say- I have never been to Alaska before, so if there are mistakes in my description of the landscape, I'm sorry. I try my best to describe it as real as possible.

Danny and Lindsay were sitting at the river for a long time, nobody of them talking anything. They were just sitting there, enjoying the nearness of each other, both deep in their thoughts.. But then the peaceful situation suddenly was interrupted.

"Hey, you two, what are you doing here at the river?" Flack shouted, running over to them. Danny and Lindsay turned around to him, both more than annoyed about this interruption. When Flack reached the two, he grinned down at them, not noticing that he at the moment was not welcome.

"What do you want, Don?" Danny then said. "I thought you wanted to play poker." Flack laughed.

"Yes, we did, but do you know what time it is? It's almost 9:00 pm. I have no idea what you two have done the whole time. And I'm not sure if I really want to know that. But it's late and Mac told us that we better should go to bed, tomorrow seems to become a long day. So, maybe we should go and sleep now. We have to meet at Mac's at 9:00 am."-

"Means we have to get up before 8:00 am if everyone of us wants to take a shower." Lindsay added. "Okay, okay, you are right." With that she slowly stood up, a little unhappy about that. She didn't really want to admit it, but she had enjoyed the time with Danny, lying in his arms. But maybe they could continue this. One day. So the three went back to their house and into their beds, falling asleep a few minutes later.

When Lindsay at the next morning woke up by the sound of her cell's alarm-clock, she needed a moment to remember that she wasn't in her apartment, but in a small room of a holiday house. She pulled her blanket a little higher, not wanting to get up. But if she wanted to have a shower and to eat before they'd go on their trip, she now had to get up. So Lindsay finally left her bed and then her room, totally forgetting that she was still wearing her usual sleeping clothes- a long, white shirt and short pants. She went downstairs and noticed Flack standing in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Linds." He greeted her, obviously in a good mood. "I'm making coffee. You want one?"-

"Oh yes, thank you." Lindsay answered, still with a sleepy voice. She scanned the room, noticing that someone was missing. "Where's Danny?"-

"Outside." Flack replied without looking up from the coffee machine. "He's doing some kind of morning sport or so, no idea."

Morning sport? Lindsay went to one of the front windows and saw that Danny indeed was outside. Her eyes widened.

"Oh, what? What is he doing there? Does he know how cold it is? How can he just wear his jeans?" She asked, already freezing by the thought. The only response she got from Flack was a chuckle. But Lindsay was a little concerned. It was really cold. So she opened the front door and stepped out. When Danny heard her coming outside, he looked at her and grinned.

"Good morning, Montana. Have you slept well?"-

"Yes, but you obviously not." She replied, staring at the almost naked man in front of her. "Do you know how cold it is? Come in immediately!" But Danny's grin just widened.

"First of all, don't tell me what to do. And- I'm not freezing. Maybe _you _are the one who is freezing and should go in again." He said and stared at her with a grin that became bigger with every moment.

Lindsay first had no idea what he was talking about. Yes, it was cold, but why… Then she suddenly noticed what she was still wearing. She instantly looked downwards, blushing when she realized what Danny was looking at. 'God!' she thought. 'This day is starting great.'

"Well…do what you want. Then I'm at least the one who get have the first shower." She stammered and then rushed back into the house, only hearing Danny's laughter behind her. When she ran in she almost collided with Flack.

"Hey, where is the fire?" He asked.

"I need a shower." Lindsay just responded, running to the bathroom as fast as possible.

-----------------------------------------------

At 9:00 finally everyone of the six had found his or her way to Mac's house where he was already awaiting them. He had told them the day before that they had to pack a bag for their trip with food, water and maybe some clothes for changing. They also had to wear warm clothes, fall in Alaska was very cold. Mac was glad when he noticed that everyone had done what he had said, so they immediately could start.

"Okay. Listen." Mac shouted. "We'll first follow the river for a while. The forest her is very thick here, it would be too difficult to take this way. After a while the forest while became smaller and smaller, we even will see the snowy mountains."

The longer Lindsay listened to Mac the more she became excited. She couldn't wait to start. This was so great, a trip through the Alaskan wilderness. She had done trips like this many times in Montana, but Alaska was different. She had always wanted to do that. And together with her co-workers and friends would be even better.

"Lets go." Mac then said and the group started to move.

First they could only walk on the beach out of pebbles. This wasn't that easy and they had to be careful to not stumble.

"See, Stella, that's why I told you to not wear your boots with the high heals." Sheldon said and immediately got a hit against his arm from Stella. The group was walking in teams with two persons per team. Mac and Lindsay were at the top, then Danny and Flack and at the end Stella and Sheldon. Sheldon had wished to be at the top as well, but Stella wasn't that fast, as a New Yorker she wasn't used to such a stony ground like this and so he had decided to keep an eye on her.

"How long do we have to follow the river?" Lindsay asked after she had walked next to her boss in silence for a while.

"I'd say around an hour or so." Mac answered and looked at Lindsay. Her face was rose because of the cool breeze. Mac couldn't hold back a smile when he noticed the happy look on her face.

"You really enjoy this trip, right?" He asked. Lindsay nodded.

"Oh, yes, it's fantastic! The landscape is so…so nice. I mean, Montana is nice, too, but this here, it's even better. I'm so glad that you decided to take us to this wonderful place." She answered and then started to talk with Mac about their experiences with wilderness.

Danny, who was walking a few feet behind them, groaned. Flack looked at him with an amused smile.

"Okay, Messer, I had looked at that for long enough now, what's your problem?" He asked.

"Nothing." Danny mumbled back, but he knew that his best friend wouldn't stop asking him until he knew what he wanted to know.

"Let me guess." Flack continued. "Lindsay?" When he noticed the look on Danny's face he chuckled before he added, "Of course, what else? So, where's your problem? Don't you like that she is walking with Mac instead of with you?"-

"No." Danny answered. He really hadn't thought about that, but thanks to Flack, he now wondered indeed why she was walking with her boss. 'But, no, they just both liked to talk about this whole nature stuff', he then thought.

"What's then your problem?" Flack again asked, not giving up that easy.

"Well." Danny began. He knew that Flack would stop asking and so he decided to finally talk to him. "It's, ah, I'm just an idiot. You remember yesterday evening when I was sitting with her at the river? We sat there for almost two hours, she in my arms, we just sat there. It was… I don't know how to describe it… it was…different. There was something between us I haven't notice before. We have never been that close. And then, this morning, I made a stupid comment and since then she doesn't talk to me anymore."-

"What did you say?"-

"I'd not tell you!" Danny immediately said. "Don, what can I do now? I have no idea. I didn't want to destroy whatever had been there yesterday."-

"Okay." Flack answered, after a short moment of silence. "If I'm honest, I have no idea what you can do, I even don't know what you said. But, if you want an advice- talk to her. Tell her that you are sorry. That's the best, I think."-

"But she doesn't want to talk to me."-

"Did you ask her?"-

"No."-

"Then do that!"

Danny groaned again. 'Yeah, great.' He thought. 'Of course I should talk to her. But how? And what to say?' And so he just continued walking in silence., trying to find a way to talk to Lindsay again.

After they had walked for a long time, the forest around them already becoming smaller and smaller, Lindsay suddenly shouted, "Oh, look the mountains!" She pointed in front of her where indeed huge mountains were to see, white with snow.

"Oh, wow." Sheldon said after reaching the place where Lindsay was standing, impressed as well.

"Come on, only a little bit more and we have a better view." Mac told them, and the five continued their walk. And he was right. After a few more minutes the already small forest ended and only several trees where standing between the green, plants on the huge field which reached the mountains at the horizon. They had walked for many hours now, and everyone was more or less exhausted, but at this moment they were just enjoying the impressing view they had.

"Okay, after this long walk we should stop now for a rest. It's time to eat something, I think." Mac said, putting down his back and sitting down. The others did the same. Danny immediately used his chance to sit down next to Lindsay.

"Lindsay, are you mad at me?" He asked. Lindsay looked at him confused.

"Why should I?" She asked.

"Because I made this… stupid comment this morning." Danny answered.

"What?" Lindsay asked with an amused smile. "You don't really think that I'm mad at you because of this? Come on! It was embarrassing, but I'm not angry." When he heard that, Danny couldn't hold back a relieved sigh.

"I'm sorry anyway." He then said. Lindsay chuckled.

"Okay." She said. Danny was glad that he now could talk normal with her again. They sat at their place for a while, Danny more than once looking around him, scanning the area with his eyes. After a while Sheldon couldn't help but laugh.

"What's going on with you, Danny?" He asked. "Are you looking for grizzlies, or what?"-

"This joke will never get old, huh?" Danny asked back while the others broke out in laughter. He was glad that nobody knew that this was indeed the reason why he was a little nervous since they had left their holiday houses.

After a while the group stood up again to continue their walk. Mac had actually planned to walk a little further, but he noticed how tired everyone was. Danny and Flack had enjoyed the trip but were bored, walking wasn't their hobby, and Stella was so tired that it was not sure if he was able to walk the whole way back. So they decided to head back home.

After a few more hours they finally reached their houses again. Danny and Flack tried to not show how exhausted they were, but the groans they made when they could sit down said more than words. Stella hadn't managed the whole way, so Sheldon had carried her the last hour, what impressed the others, they hadn't imagined that he was so sporty. Lindsay had enjoyed the long walk. In New York she hadn't had the possibility for that, it had been a good training. But now she just wanted one thing.

"I'll take a shower now." She said and before anyone could disagree she rushed into the house and into the bathroom.

Danny and Flack also followed her into the house, letting themselves fallen down on the couches. This time Danny was even too exhausted to listen to Lindsay under the shower.

"Boy, this was hard." Flack then said after a while.

"Oh, yes." Danny agreed. That was everything they spoke. The long walk and the fresh Alaskan weather had totally worn them out. After a while when the sound of the shower had stopped, Danny stood up.

"My turn." He just said, going upstairs without waiting for an answer. He directly walked over to the bathroom, thinking that Lindsay had already left it. He opened the door and was immediately greeted with a loud scream.

"Danny, what the hell are you doing here?!" Lindsay screamed. Danny, totally shocked, instantly turned around.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I…I had no idea that you are still here, I thought you have already left the shower, because I couldn't hear the water anymore."-

"And you didn't think that maybe I just left the shower, but that I'm not dressed yet?!"-

"No…I have really not thought about that. But, you really don't have to be angry. I saw nothing. Well, and what I saw was just…"-

"Oh, shut up!" Lindsay shouted, running out of the bathroom and into her room.

'Great!' Danny thought. 'Exactly what I wanted.' He went downstairs again, definitely not in the mood to have a shower anymore.

"What did you do now?" Flack asked, holding back a laughter.

"Don't ask." Danny groaned and sat down.

-----------------------------------------------

After Flack had left the living room to take the shower instead of his best friend, Danny was alone. He was angry at himself. 'I'm such an idiot!' He thought. When Flack came back, Lindsay was still in her bedroom.

"Wow, looks as if she's really angry." Flack said, a little concerned.

"I'll talk to her." Danny replied. He wasn't sure if she'd listen to him, but he at least could try it.

When he reached her room, he first knocked at her door. When he didn't get any answer after a few minutes, he carefully opened the door. Lindsay was sitting on her bed, now wearing clothes again, staring at the wall in front of her.

"Lindsay." Danny began softly, sitting down on the bed as well. "I'm so sorry, I know, I'm an idiot, we all know that. But I really didn't want to do that. I'm so sorry." He expected that she now would throw him out again, but she didn't.

"I know." She instead of that said and turned around to look at him, moving a little closer on her bed. They looked at each other for a moment, both in their thoughts.

"Danny, I know you didn't want to come in while I'm naked." Lindsay then said. "And normally I have no real problem with that. But… with you it's… I don't know."-

"I know what you mean." Danny answered quietly, his eyes still holding contact with hers. "It's confusing, isn't it?"-

"Yes." Lindsay said. "I have always wondered why it's so different between you and me compared with me and the others. But… there… there is something, something special. I felt it many times. Especially… especially yesterday evening." When Danny heard her saying that he was surprised, even a little impressed. She had said what he was thinking the whole time but had never dared to speak out loud.

They were now silent again, their bodies only a few inches apart from each other, their faces so close that they even could feel each others breath. They were so close, even closer than yesterday, but Danny didn't know how to react now. They were just looking at each other.

Then, after a few minutes which seemed to be hours, Lindsay moved a little.

"Well." She whispered. "I… I think it's the best when I sleep now. You know what Mac said, tomorrow we'll do some wild water rafting. And you can believe me, it's not as easy as it sounds."-

"Okay." Danny answered, also whispering. He had wished that this had turned in another way. But maybe it was better like this. So he stood up.

"Have a good night, Montana." He said.

"Have a good night, Danny." Lindsay replied, lying down in her bed.

With that he left her room. After he had closed her door he leant back against it for a moment. They had been so close. Usually he had now made the next step. He had kissed her, maybe had done even more, whatever, but he had done something. But now, with Lindsay, it was different. Danny suddenly felt nervous, he didn't know what to do. And why? Because there was suddenly this feeling, he had never felt that before. It was warm and wonderful, and it was completely new to him. Danny wasn't sure if this feeling was what he thought it could be. But there was one thing he knew, he wanted to keep it, and he'd give Lindsay the time she needed. At this moment Danny didn't know that Lindsay was feeling exactly the same for him.

Author's note: So, what do you think Danny is feeling for Lindsay? And what is she feeling for him? We'll see.

**I know, Danny hasn't met any wild animals yet, but this will change. Promise!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note: In this chapter the six CSIs will do wild water rafting. I have done that, too, a few years ago on a river in Baden Württemberg, in the Alps. It was great and a diving suit is the best protection against the icy water. I'm sure doing that would be even better in Alaska.**

When Lindsay woke up at the next morning she was greeted by the warm sun streams which were coming through her window. This morning Mac had allowed them to sleep a little longer, after such a long walk the day before they really deserved it. Lindsay stretched her legs in her bed, feeling a light aching in them. She really had to train more. Lindsay threw a short glance at her watch. She had still more than one hour to get dressed. But today she felt so awake that she decided to stand up immediately.

A few minutes later she walked down the stairs, finding Danny in the living room, drinking his coffee.

"This time no morning sport?" She asked, grinning at him. They had been very close last evening, and from the look on his eyes when he first saw her coming downstairs, she could tell, that he instantly thought about that. But at this time she wasn't sure if it was the right moment to talk about that. Danny, who had first looked at her thoughtfully, now rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, maybe it's too cold for that." He answered. Lindsay, trying to ignore that he again was just wearing his pants and no shirt, looked into the kitchen, expecting her other friend there, but he wasn't.

"Where's Don?" She asked.

"From the sound coming from his bedroom I'd say he's still sleeping." Danny replied with a grin.

"He's still sleeping?" Lindsay said, when she suddenly got an idea. "Oh, maybe we should wake him up."-

"Looks like you have already a plan?" Danny asked, noticing the huge grin on her lips. Lindsay nodded.

"Oh yes." She answered. "Danny, do you remember the big sponge we have in the bathroom?" When he nodded she continued, "Okay, can you go and take it? We'll meet outside."-

"Okay, I have no idea what you want to do, but I'll take it." Danny answered, standing up. But before he went up the stairs he turned around again and asked, "You sure you want to go out like this again? It's still cold…"-

"Funny, Messer, but I learnt my lesson." Lindsay shot back and then left the house. A minute later Danny joined her outside. When he saw her standing next to the rain barrel he immediately realized what she wanted to do.

"Haha, that's great." He laughed. "Do you know how cold this water is?"-

"Yes, I know." Lindsay answered, took the sponge and held it into the water until it had soaked in as much water as possible. "I'm sure he'll wake up very soon."

With that the two slowly and as quiet as possible went back into their house and upstairs into Flack's room, where he was still lying in his bed, sleeping and snoring. They stepped next to his bed and Lindsay placed the sponge above his face. Danny and Lindsay tried hard to not laugh out and ruin everything. Then they counted '1, 2, 3!' and Lindsay pressed the sponge so that the whole cold water dropped onto Flack's face.

With a loud scream he shot up in his bed, staring totally shocked at his two friends who were laughing so hard that they almost cried.

"Are you crazy?" Flack shouted, still trying to calm down.

"Oh, come on, Don." Danny answered between laughter. "It was just time to wake up." To Lindsay he said, "Maybe it's better if we go now." Lindsay nodded and walked over to the door, Danny following her while Flack was still staring at them.

"Really nice, really. Was this the payback for what I interrupted when…" He stopped immediately when he noticed the warning look on Danny's face. "Oh, well, I meant, you shouldn't do that again!" Actually he had planned to ask if this the revenge for his interruption at the evening when Danny and Lindsay had been alone at the river. But maybe it was better when he didn't mention that now.

------------------------------------------

Around an hour later finally everyone was standing in front of Mac's house. They were all wearing warm clothes, and under them their swimsuits. Mac was standing next to their van, awaiting them.

"We'll start our rafting not here, we'll drive to another place a few miles down the river. There's my friend already waiting for us, and our rubber dinghy and our diving suits are there too. So, get in the car now, so that we can start." He told them.

They had to drive around 15 minutes until Mac stopped the car, again near the river. But this time they were not far away from the street, and a bridge was near them as well. Near the river, on the stony beach, they could see a man, around Mac's age, standing with a huge red rubber dinghy. After they had left the car Mac introduced his friend, Carl, who then started to explain what they had to do.

"First, welcome to our wonderful state Alaska." Carl began. "Today you want to do wild water rafting, right? This is your boat, it's exactly for six persons, so you can all use this here. When you are swimming down the river I'll follow you with the car until you reach a special place where we'll meet again, Mac already knows where this is. But before we start you have to take on this diving suits. They protect you, the river is very icy, especially now in fall, but you'll not feel anything in this suits."

With that Carl handed the diving suits over to the six. They started to took of their clothes, as fast as possible, because it was much too cold for wearing just swimsuits. After she had removed all her clothes, Lindsay, who was wearing a small red bikini, could instantly feel eyes resting on her. She threw a short glance behind her where Danny was standing, also wearing almost nothing. It was just a short glance, but from the look on his face she could tell that he obviously liked what he saw. Anyway Lindsay couldn't help but blushing and turned around again, taking on the tight diving suit.

After a while everyone had managed to put on their suits. Lindsay had again to bit on her lips to not laugh out loud. One advantage of these suits was, that they were so tight that they fitted like a second skin. One could imagine that every little pound too much was clear to see, but the complete opposite was the case. And, not to forget, none of them had to hide anything. But Stella and Flack anyway looked really uncomfortable in their suits. Carl, who had also noticed that, walked over to them and grinned.

"You guys look fantastic, maybe you should also wear that at work." He said.

"Yeah, instead of the lab coats. Would be interesting." Sheldon replied and everyone started to laugh, even the unhappy Stella and Flack.

Now, when all of them were wearing their suits, Carl lead them over to their boat. With the help of the other men he pushed it until it lay in the flat water and then told them to get in.

"One person has to sit at the front, one at the end and the others have to sit in the middle." Carl said and Mac started to tell them where everyone had to sit. At the end Sheldon was sitting at the front, behind him Stella on the left and Flack on the right, in the third row Lindsay on the right and Danny on the left and at the end Mac who'd navigate them. Carl helped Mac them to get into the deeper water until the boat started to swim with the strong stream of the river. They all had paddles in their hands and Mac told them how and when to use them until they had found the right rhythm.

"And take care for your neighbour. It maybe will happen more than once that one of you will fall into the water." Mac told them.

"Oh, great." Stella groaned. "And how should I manage to pull Don back into the boat when he falls out?" Mac couldn't hold back a laughter.

"I'm sure he can do that on his own, you just have to help him." He answered. He was still grinning while looking at his team. Stella and Flack were still feeling uncomfortable in their momentary situation. Sheldon and Lindsay were enthusiastic, like always since they started to this trip. And, to Mac's surprise, Danny this time was also happy. He enjoyed the rafting.

They followed the river for a while, without having any problems and without loosing someone.

"And this is what you call wild water?" Flack asked, shaking his head.

"Oh, I'd be careful, Don." Sheldon instead of Mac replied and pointed in front of him. And indeed, not far away the river became wilder, white foam was built at some places.

"Okay, now our little trip will become a little rougher." Mac commanded. "Be careful." And a minute later they reached the stream became stronger, the boat swam faster. Everyone clung to the edges of the boat, trying to not fall into the water. But when suddenly a wave hit the right side of the boat, the two, Flack and Lindsay, who were sitting there, couldn't hold themselves anymore and with loud screams they flew into the roaring water.

Lindsay had done wild water rafting a few times before and so she knew that this could happen. She swam as good as she could, trying to hold her head above. She looked at Flack who was fighting with the strong stream. She wanted to swim over to him to help him, but then noticed that he could manage it own his own and so she swam to the right side of the boat and grabbed the edge of it. Flack followed a moment later.

For Lindsay it wasn't easy to get back into the boat, she was just to small, but trying that on her own was unnecessary. Danny bent over to her, grabbed her arms and just pulled her back into the boat. With Stella's and Sheldon's help finally Flack did the same and the two could sit down again, both trying to get their breath back.

"And, do you still think that this is no wild water?" Danny asked, fighting back a laughter. Flack just groaned.

"Haha, funny. I'd be careful, maybe you are the next one who ends in the river."-

"Of course not!" Danny replied.

But Flack was right. Not even a minute later another wave hit the boat. While Stella again managed to stay in the boat with Flack's help, Danny this time landed in the water. He hadn't as much problems with the stream as Flack, but anyway was now completely wet like his friends.

The rest of the rafting trip went good, and after another hour Mac lead them to the bank where Carl was already waiting with the car. After he had helped them out of the boat he told them, "Now took of your clothes, you can do that in the van."

He didn't have to say that twice. As much as everyone enjoyed the trip, they wanted to remove their tight diving suits as fast as possible. And before Lindsay could react, four of them had entered the van, which was full now and so she had to wait.

'Great.' She thought. 'I really don't want to wear this wet suit any longer!' But what to do? Lindsay then decided that she at least could start to take of her suit until the others were ready. Not a good idea, she learnt later. Because when she had finally managed to take off her diving suit, now only dressed into her bikini, the other still were in the van. And so she was standing there, on the stony beach, freezing.

"Looks like we were just to slow, huh?" She suddenly heard a familiar voice. Lindsay turned around and noticed Danny coming around the car, a blanket around him. When he saw how much she was shivering, Danny felt really sorry for the small woman in front of him.

"Do you want my blanket?" He asked. But Lindsay shook her head, trying to not shiver too much, but she wasn't successful.

"Okay, but I don't want that you are freezing so much." Danny answered. "Come here."-

"What?" Lindsay asked a little confused.

"Come here." Danny repeated. "I'll warm you." When she still hesitated, he added, "I'll not bite you, come here!"

Usually Lindsay had said no to this, but it was so cold and so she finally went over to him. Danny slowly pulled her against his bare chest, closing his arms and the blanket around her. They stood like this for a while, nobody moving.

"Better?" Danny then asked. Lindsay just nodded.

"Thank you." She whispered. She didn't know how to feel at this particular moment. The warmth of Danny's body against hers indeed worked- she didn't freeze anymore. But this was by far the most intimate moment they had yet. They were both wearing almost nothing, and they were so close to each other, only with the blanket around them. And Lindsay couldn't deny how much she enjoyed this moment. She wished she could stay like this with him forever, just feeling his warm skin on hers. She closed her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder. Danny, who was also enjoying how close they both were, held her a little tighter. It was a great moment for both of them until they were suddenly interrupted by the van's doors who opened and Flack and Sheldon left the car, looking very confused when they saw the two standing like this in front of them.

"Finally!" Danny said after a short moment of silence. "Really great, you're getting dressed in the warm car while we are freezing like crazy." With that he just lead Lindsay to the car and after Mac and Stella had left it as well they both entered it to put on their warm clothes again.

Some minutes later the van with the six CSIs in it was on its way back to their houses. Lindsay, who had looked out of the window for a while, glanced over to Danny. He was looking out of his window as well, deep in his thoughts. Lindsay didn't have to wonder what he was thinking about. It had been just a short moment, a few minutes ago at the river, but the situation had been more intimate for both of them than anything else they had done before. It even topped the evening at the river. And for Lindsay one thing was clear now. There was much more between them, much more then just friendship, and if she was honest, much more then just sexual tension. She had never felt as comfortable in a man's arms as in Danny's while he was warming her. And Lindsay was looking forward to what would happen between them next.


	6. Chapter 6

After returning back from their rafting trip, Mac told his five friends that they could spend the rest of the day on their own. And this was what they did. After a short break the men met outside in front of the two houses to play soccer and to do other sports. Stella and Lindsay met in Stella's room to talk and to view some magazines Stella had taken with her. The rest of the day went peaceful, until the six went to bed, early like always since they had arrived in Alaska.

At the next morning Mac let his CSIs sleep a little longer than the days before. He knew how much his program for them had worn them out and what he had planned for today could start a little later. So it was almost midday when the five joined him in front of his house again to wait for what he'd tell them. Had some of them been bored when they had arrived at this place a few days ago, they now all were happy that they could be here instead of working back home in New York.

"Good morning." Mac greeted them. "This is already our fourth day here. Today we'll drive to a nice place a few miles from here. There you'll get maps from me and then you can discover the area on your own, I'd say always two of you together. We'll set a time when we'll meet at the car again."-

"Oh, great, a discovery trip on our own? I have waited for that the whole time!" Sheldon shouted out happily.

"Yeah, great." Flack replied. "Sounds indeed good, but I'm used to the streets of New York, not to the Alaskan wilderness. So, if you want me to come back…"-

"No problem." Sheldon interrupted him. "I'll take you with me."-

"Okay." Flack agreed.

Lindsay, who hadn't said anything yet, couldn't wait to arrive at the place Mac had chosen for them. Wasn't this great? They could hike alone, how long had she waited for that? Before she could enter the car she suddenly felt a hand on her arm and turned around.

"So, would it be okay to you if I'm your partner?" Danny asked with a low voice. "I think I have the same problem like Don, I'd be totally lost in the wilderness."-

"You know you could also go together with Mac." Lindsay answered, trying to stay serious. A little disappointed look went on Danny's face before he said, "Yes, but… I'm sure he more wants to go with Stella. And… and if I'm honest…"-

"I was just kidding, Danny." Lindsay interrupted him with a grin before he had the chance to explain more why he wanted to go with her. "Of course you can be my partner." With that she finally entered the van, Danny following her after a quiet sigh of relief.

Around an hour later they reached their target. Mac stopped the car on a parking space next to a small wooden house. After everyone had left the van Mac told them where they were.

"This here is a popular place for hikers. I have three maps for you which show you were the hiker paths are. You can follow them, what I'd recommend, but you can also go wherever you want, as long as you find back. We've now 12:00 pm and I'd say we meet here latest at 5:00 pm. Enjoy your trip." He said and gave a map to every of the groups. Then the trip could start. Mac and Stella immediately started, following one of Mac's favourite hiker paths, while Flack and Hawkes were discussing which they could choose.

"God, Don, if we not decide now we'll not been started until 5:00 pm!" Sheldon groaned. "I'd say we'll go this paths, because it's not that difficult as you can see, and I don't want to carry you the half way back. Hiking in the rocks isn't as easy as walking through Manhattan."

Lindsay grinned and just shook her head. If this two would ever find the perfect paths for them? She wasn't sure.

"So, which way will we go?" Danny asked, looking over Lindsay's shoulder onto the map she was holding.

"Oh, I'd say this one here." Lindsay told him, pointing onto a mark on the map. "It'll lead us to this lake here, not far away from here, maybe two hours or so."-

"Okay." Danny immediately agreed, to Lindsay's surprise.

"Wow, no discussions?" She asked. Danny just grinned.

"No, I'm totally trusting in you."

And while Sheldon and Flack were still discussing, Danny and Lindsay started their way through the Alaskan wilderness.

The walk through the forest was surprising nice for Lindsay. She had expected that Danny would be bored, like he had been on their second day, but he wasn't. He was obviously in a very good mood, and asked her about her time when she had left in Montana and how it was to grow up in the country. Lindsay really enjoyed her talk to him. She could clearly feel that he didn't just ask her, he really was interested in what she was telling him. Lindsay had to admit that he had changed a lot since they had arrived in Alaska. First she hadn't had any idea how to manage five days together with him, especially together with him in the same house. But then she had found out that being together with him close like this was exactly what she had wanted. And what she had needed as well. She was now seeing Danny from a different point of view. Being together with him could be really exhausting, especially when Flack was there, too. But there was also this other side, the side he had shown her on their first evening at the river, on the next evening in her room, and yesterday after the rafting. And now, while he was just listening to her stories from her life in Montana. She had found out that there was much more between them than just this tension which had driven her crazy so many times before. There was something else, and Lindsay was excited if she'd find out how close they really were, while spending so many hours alone with him.

After around two hours wandering through the forest Lindsay looked onto her map again.

"We must be very close." She said and looked straight ahead. "Look, is it just me or can you also see the grass between the trees? Over there?" Danny looked where she was pointing at, nodding.

"Oh yes." He said. "Looks like we found what we have looked for."

They continued their walk and after a few more minutes they suddenly reached the edge of the forest. Lindsay's eyes went wide, soaking in the beautiful landscape. There was a huge field in front of them, surrounded by the forest, and in the middle of it a big lake which was sparkling in the sun.

"Wow." Danny just said.

"You are saying it." Lindsay agreed. Then she noticed something moving in the water, at the opposite side of the lake. She hadn't seen it before, but now she saw what there was standing in the water.

"Look." She whispered and pointed onto her discovery. "There." Danny's eyes followed her finger, but he first didn't know what she meant.

"What?"-

"Over there, in the lake." Lindsay explained. When Danny still didn't see what she meant she took his head between her hand and turned him carefully in the right direction.

"Can't you see the moose in the water?" She asked. Now Danny finally saw what she was talking about. At the opposite side of the lake were two moose standing in the water, obviously eating, a bull with huge antlers and a cow.

"Ah, now I see what you mean." He finally said. Lindsay laughed.

"They are so huge and you didn't see them?"-

"Obviously." Danny replied. "What do you think? Can we go a little closer?"-

"Yes, but only a little." Lindsay answered. "We should better not get too close to them."-

"Why?" Danny asked a little confused. "Thy look just like big deer." Lindsay couldn't hold back a laughter.

"Big deer?" She said. "First, they are much bigger than deer, and they are dangerous as well. Believe me, if a grown up moose attacks you, you have no chance. Do you know how many people are killed by moose every year?"-

"No, but I'm sure you'll tell me." Danny answered. While Lindsay was whispering to him they slowly got a little closer to the lake to have a better view. Then they lay down in the grass, looking at the huge animals in front of them. Danny couldn't admit that he enjoyed this trip into nature. Maybe it was because Lindsay was the one who made this trip to be a special event.

They were just looking at the moose, when the two animals suddenly hesitated in what they were doing. Then, without a warning, they started to run, out of the water and back into the forest.

"Why are they running away?" Danny asked Lindsay who was staring concentrated at the place where the moose had been before.

"Because they are fleeing." She then whispered, pointing in front of her. This time Danny only needed a short moment to realize what she was meaning. A huge, brown animal was slowly walking towards the lake. Danny's eyes widened in shock when he noticed that the animal was a bear.

"Oh my god." He whispered. "Why are we still lying here? We should…"-

"Shhh…" Lindsay commanded. "He can't smell us because the wind is blowing in our direction. As long as this doesn't change he'll not see us."-

"Oh, really?" Danny whispered back, not believing her. "And if he does anyway?"-

"Danny, please, don't freak out now." Lindsay said, following every move of the bear with her eyes. "Since when are you afraid? In New York you have no problem to jump onto a driving motorcycle to get a suspect, and now you are freaking out because of an animal which is so far away."-

"It doesn't matter how far it is away." Danny replied, trying to not speak too loud. "You can say that easy. Now he's far away, but who knows how long? I don't want to start to run away when he's already eating one of my arms." With that he stood up, not paying any attention if the bear would notice him or not and started to run back to the forest. Lindsay turned fast around.

"Danny!" She hissed. "Come back! Immediately!" But Danny didn't. Lindsay had no other choice. He had no map and like this it was only a question of time until he got lost in the forest. With a short glance at the bear who had still not noticed them she also stood up, following him as fast as possible.

When Lindsay reached the forest, Danny still with a big lead, she started to shout, "Danny! Stop running! Do you know how dangerous that can be?" She followed him deeper into the forest, on the left, very close to them, a slope.

"Danny, wait! You shouldn't run so fast next to such a slope!" She shouted again, not looking were she was stepping at. Not a good idea, she instantly learnt. She didn't see the root until she stumbled over it. Lindsay tried to grab the branch of a tree, but it was too late. With a loud scream she fell down the slope.

When Danny heard her screaming he turned around, just in time to see her fall.

"Lindsay!" He shouted in shock and ran back to the place where she had stood before. He stared down the slope where Lindsay now was lying a few feet below, not moving anymore.

"Lindsay! Please answer!" Danny shouted again, fear rising inside him. When Lindsay again didn't react he slowly climbed down to her. When he finally reached her, he carefully turned her around, immediately seeing the pain in her eyes.

"My knee." She groaned, holding her right leg. Danny carefully bent down to look at her knee. The pants were not torn, and so he slowly pulled it upwards until he saw the huge bruises on her knee. This didn't look good.

"Montana, does something else except your knee hurt?" Danny asked, but she shook her head. Danny was relieved. The bruises were looking bad, but at least she had no other wounds.

"Can you stretch your leg?" He asked. Lindsay tried it, crying out in pain, but she managed to stretch her hurting leg.

"Good. Wait a moment." He looked around to find something to stabilize her leg. After finding two long branches Danny looked into his bag where he found to bandages. With them and the wood he stabilized her leg.

"Now try to stand up." He said, helping her to get back onto her feed. Lindsay, still in pain, clenched her teeth, trying to not cry out again. She could stand on her right leg, but it hurt very much.

"Okay, I think if we go slow we should manage that." Danny told her. Then he looked at her, concern still in his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Montana, I should have listened to you. I… I was just afraid, I didn't want that this happened." But Lindsay shook her head, trying to smile.

"What are you talking about? It's not your fault." She answered. "Lets get back to the meeting point, I have the map, I know where we are." With that they slowly started their way back.

They walked for around one and a half hours until Lindsay's leg hurt so much that they had to stop for a break. They sat down at the edge of the path, Danny still feeling sorry. Lindsay who noticed that, smiled at him, taking his hand.

"Danny, please, as I already told you, it's not your fault. You have been afraid when you saw the bear, that's a normal reaction. You got panic and ran away."-

"But I could have stopped when you told me to in the forest."-

"Yes, but this has nothing to do with my knee. I know how dangerous it is in the forest, and I should have looked where I stepped at. But I didn't and so I fell. That was definitely not your fault, okay?" When Danny finally nodded, Lindsay, looking straight into his eyes, added, "And I'm so glad that you are here now and I'm not alone with that." Now Danny smiled too.

"Of course. I'm always there." He answered. After a short moment of silence he again spoke.

"Lindsay, you know I haven't been happy about this trip first, but during the last few days I changed my opinion. This trip was wonderful until now. And you know why? Because you are here. I have always wished to spend more time with you. Don't ask me why I've never asked you, I just didn't dare to do that. But now we spend such a long time together, and it was great. I… I mean, we have been so close for so many times. I have never felt so happy with another woman before. I have feelings for you which are totally new for me. I…" Before he could say more, Lindsay gently interrupted him with placing her index finger on his lips.

"I know what you mean." She whispered. Then she leant forwards. "I feel the same." And without saying anything else she kissed him softly onto his lips. Danny instantly kissed her back, deepening the kiss fast until both were noticing noting else around them anymore, only the warmth of their lips. Lindsay had totally forgotten the pain in her knee. She was lost in the depth of their kiss, her heart racing, wishing that this moment would never stop.

When they pulled away to catch their breath again after a while, they just looked at each other, smiling.

"We should hurry now." Danny said, still whispering. "And now I'll carry you for the rest of the way. No comment." Lindsay, still smiling, nodded. And so Danny carried her for the rest of the way.

They reached their meeting point far after 5:00 pm, the others were already awaiting them. When they told them that Lindsay hurt her knee, Sheldon immediately examined her knee. Luckily nothing was broken, but the knee needed some rest for the next days and Sheldon bandaged it before they then drove back to their holiday houses.

Later in the evening when Lindsay had already gotten to bed, suddenly she heard a knocking at her door.

"Come in." She said. The door went open and Danny appeared in her room, closing the door behind him. He walked over to her bed and sat down next to her.

"How are you?" He asked.

"Much better." Lindsay replied, looking up at him smiling. "Nice that you visit me."-

"I wanted to look how you are before I go to bed." Danny said, gently stroking some hair out of her face. "I'm so sorry for you that you hurt your knee. And you was the one who loved this trip the most."-

"No problem." Lindsay replied. "Well, the trip also had it good parts." Danny grinned, leaning a bit more forward.

"Oh yes, that's true." He said and kissed her softly. After they had pulled away again, Lindsay moved a little in her bed, making some place next to her.

"Would you like to sleep here with me?" She asked.

"Oh, yes." Danny answered, a little unsure if she really wanted that. "You sure?" Lindsay grinned.

"Yes, I'm sure. I just asked you to sleep here." She answered. "So, come in."

She didn't have to say that twice. Danny carefully lay down next to her, taking her into his arms. Lindsay rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes, still smiling. Her knee was still hurting, but it didn't matter. She was also feeling something else. A wonderful feeling she had felt so many times before since they had arrived in Alaska. And finally she knew that Danny was feeling exactly the same for her.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's note: Last chapter Danny and Lindsay finally kissed. What will they do this chapter?

When Danny woke up the next morning he needed a moment to realize that this was not his bedroom he was lying in. Then he looked downwards to the small person who was snuggled up to him, still sleeping. This was a moment when Danny noticed that he had never felt that lucky before. Lindsay had changed him a lot. It all had begun when he had first met her. A special woman who exactly knew what she wanted and who was strong and determined. She was the first woman who made him feel unsure when he was talking to her, afraid to do or say something stupid. It was impressing which feelings she was causing inside him. And now, since they yesterday kissed and since she had offered him to sleep with her in his bed, he knew that she was feeling the same for him.

Danny thought about waking her up for a moment, but then decided to let her sleep. So he carefully moved until he could stand up and quietly left her room. Then he went downstairs. Danny was still half asleep. He needed a coffee now.

"Oh, morning, Danny!" He was immediately greeted by Flack who was already standing in the kitchen, making coffee.

"Morning." Danny replied with a yawn. "What time is it?"-

"Oh, it's already 9:00 am." Flack answered, looking at him with a grin. When this look rested at him for another few minutes, Danny asked, "What?"-

"Oh, nothing." Was Flack's answer, but Danny knew his best friend too good to understand that this wasn't true.

So he again asked, "What? Why are you grinning like an idiot?"-

"Oh, lets say," Flack started, grinning even more, "when I woke up this morning I thought I could take revenge for the waking-up from yesterday. But what did I find when I came into your room? Nobody!" When he heard him saying that, Danny rolled his eyes. What else had he expected? Flack had never come into his room since they were here, and now he had slept once in Lindsay's room and suddenly Flack decides to wake him up? Typical!

With a deep sigh Danny replied, "It wasn't what it looked like, I just slept in her room."-

"Of course…" Flack answered sarcastically. When he saw Danny's serious face he added, "You don't really tell me that you just slept in her room?"-

"Would that be so surprising?"-

"Oh yes! You really didn't?"-

"No."-

"So, you just lay there, with her, in her bed, and slept?"-

"Yes!"-

"Are you kidding me?"-

"No! Why?"-

"Haha! Why? Because you are really not the guy who sleeps in a room together with a girl, especially when you are interested in her, without even touching her! That's just impossible!"-

"But that was what he did." Suddenly a voice came from the stairs. Both Danny and Flack turned around to see Lindsay hopping down the stairs.

"Morning, Lindsay." Flack greeted her, still grinning. "You really want to tell me…"-

"Please, Don." Lindsay interrupted him. "Can we stop this conversation? Danny and I didn't have sex last night, it was not our intention to entertain you, okay? So, please can you make me a coffee, too?" With that she slowly walked over to one of the couches and sat down, leaving Flack standing in the kitchen, staring at her a little irritated before he indeed turned back to his coffee.

Danny who had followed her to the couch, now was grinning when he sat down.

"That was good." He said, leaning forward to give her a gentle kiss. "So, why didn't you call me? Did you want to fall down the stairs as well?" Lindsay just laughed.

"Oh, I thought I could handle that on my own very well." She answered. Then she leant her head against his shoulder. She was glad that she and Danny had spent the last night together. The kiss had finally shown them what they were feeling for each other. But Lindsay had been afraid that maybe this could have been everything, and to show him that she was seriously interested in him she had offered him to sleep in her bed with her. And she couldn't deny that it had been wonderful.

After they had had breakfast the three left their house to see what Mac had planned for them for their last day.

"Good morning everybody." Mac greeted them. "How are you today, Lindsay?"-

"Oh, much better." Lindsay answered, although she knew what was coming next.

"That's great. But I'm sorry that I have to tell you that Sheldon and I decided that it would be the best for you if you'd not come with us today. It's too dangerous, and your knee still needs rest. I'm really sorry."-

"Oh, no problem." Lindsay said, trying to hold back that she was a little sad that at her last day she had to stay at their houses. But this wouldn't be as boring as she had expected, she learnt a moment later.

"Well, I'd say that staying here would be very boring." Danny interrupted them. "So, if it's okay to you, Mac, I'd stay here, too. Of course it would be nice to see what you have planned for us today, but, I mean, we can't just leave her alone here." Lindsay tried hard to not laugh out loud. This was so typical! Not only that Danny now wouldn't have to go on another trip through nature, he also could stay with her, and they'd have some free time. Alone.

After a moment of silence, Mac finally rolled his eyes and answered, "Okay, stay here with her." Then he turned back to the others to tell them what they'd do on this day.

Flack who was standing next to Danny, grinned and whispered, "That was a really wise decision, right? I'm sure this time you'll not just…"-

"Shut up, Don." Danny hissed back and then added with an even bigger grin, "Enjoy your last day in the Alaskan wilderness!"

A few minutes later after the group had left for another hiking, Danny helped Lindsay, who still was very sleepy, back into their house and up into her bedroom.

"I'm sorry, this is maybe not how you have imagined this day, but if it's okay to you I'd like to sleep for a while. Could you wake me up in, lets say, an hour?"-

"Of course." Danny answered and kissed her onto her forehead before he left her alone.

The next hour Danny looked at his watch almost every five minutes. He knew that she was tired and needed some sleep, but he so desperately wanted to be together with her now. Danny had no idea what he really wanted to do now, if just talk to her or whatever, but sitting here alone while she was sleeping upstairs alone was just torture. 'Okay, maybe not torture', Danny thought and grinned when he remembered the day when he had to listen to Lindsay while she had been in the shower.

When the hour finally was over Danny immediately stormed upstairs to Lindsay's room. He slowly opened the door, finding her still asleep. He walked over to her and sat down next to her bed.

"Lindsay, time to wake up." He whispered and gently kissed her. Lindsay mumbled something he couldn't understand and then pulled her blanket over her head.

"Come on, Montana, wake up." Danny said, this time a little louder, pulling carefully at the blanket until she appeared again. She blinked a few times, stretched her legs and then finally was awake, looking up at him.

"So, how did you sleep?" Danny asked her, stroking through her hair.

"Great." Lindsay answered with her sleepy voice. "Although I have to say that after last night I really felt lonely in my bed."-

"Oh, really?" Danny asked, smiling. Then he suddenly felt something, deep inside him, burning like a flame. This sudden feeling shocked him a little so that he instantly pulled away from her. They were so close, he didn't want to ruin that now.

"Are you okay?" Lindsay asked, sitting up a bit, a little confused about his reaction.

"Yes, of course." Danny answered, trying to not look at her. But Lindsay had already noticed the fire burning in his eyes. She knew what he was now feeling, because it was the same she felt now, too. And the fact that he was holding it back showed her that this was not everything, that he indeed had serious feelings for her. But Lindsay also thought that they had needed much time to reach this point. She knew that she could trust in him, and he knew that he could trust in her. There was no reason to wait any longer.

And so Lindsay suddenly leant forward, taking his face into her hands, and without a warning she kissed the surprised Danny. He instantly kissed her back, noticing the passion behind the kiss. And now it was impossible for him to hold back his own urge to get closer to her anymore. His own passionate feelings were overwhelming him and within a second he joined her in her bed. They had removed their clothes in no time. When Lindsay finally felt Danny's hot skin on hers, she closed her eyes, her breathing becoming faster and faster while his lips were placing burning kisses everywhere on her body, his fingers gently stroking over every inch of her sensitive skin. Their need for each other became stronger and stronger with every moment, until their bodies finally became one, meeting in a hot rhythm of love. They totally forgot everything around them, just feeling each other, enjoying their nearness, their passion, their love.

A long time later, when they were lying in each others arms, trying to calm their breaths down, Lindsay couldn't help but thinking how long she had waited for this moment. After a few more minutes she moved her position a little until she could look at Danny who was smiling at her.

"This was just… incredible." She whispered.

"You are saying it." Danny replied. But there was something else he wanted to say.

"Lindsay." He began, looking straight into her eyes. "You know that I'm interested in you since I first met you on your first day in the zoo. You completely changed everything for me. Suddenly I couldn't stop thinking about you, no matter when, no matter where. I needed a long time to realize what I was feeling for you. But since we are here I learnt a lot, about you, about me, about us, and especially about my feelings for you." He made a short break until he added, "I love you, Lindsay." When Lindsay heard him saying that, tears were instantly rising in her eyes.

"I love you, too, Danny." She then answered, leaning forward to kiss him happily.

**Author's note: The next chapter will be the last chapter. But this is not the end of the story. ;)**


	8. Chapter 8

Lindsay didn't know how long she and Danny had lain in her bed. They were just lying their, doing nothing, until Lindsay couldn't keep her eyes open anymore and fell asleep. She didn't know if he had also slept, she only knew that she was waken up by a gentle kiss on her lips. First she didn't react, not wanting to wake up.

"Come on, Montana, time to get up." Danny said, but Lindsay just groaned, pulling her blanket higher.

"No." She mumbled. "I don't want to get up now. Why can't we just lie here?" A laughter was her response.

"Why? Because the others are coming back. Do you want that they find us like this here in your bed? We at least should get dressed. But this only what I think, of course." When she heard him saying that the other were coming back, Lindsay immediately sat up in her bed.

"What? They are already coming back?" She asked with huge eyes. Danny again laughed.

"Yes, and I'd not say already. Do you know that they left five hours ago?" Lindsay shook her head. Wow, the time had passed so fast. And of course Danny was right, it was better when they now got up. If the others came up, finding them like this, it could get a little embarrassing for them. So Lindsay finally agreed to stand up.

A few minutes later when the two were already sitting in their living room, Flack entered the house. He looked a little tired, but happy. With a light grin he noticed his two friends sitting on the couch, Danny's arm around Lindsay's shoulder and her head resting against his chest. 'Finally.' He thought. He had already known which feelings his two best friends had for each other, long time before they had realized them. He had tried to bring them closer to each other with arranging situations, like on their first day here when he decided that they could share a house together. And obviously he had been successful- they didn't need to tell him that they were together, he saw it with the first look.

"So, how was your day?" He asked the couple sitting on the couch. The two couldn't help but grin when they remembered how they had spent their day.

"Oh, I'd say, we used our free time as good as possible." Danny then answered, knowing that his friend immediately realized what he had meant. "And what about you? What had Mac planned for your last day?" Now it was Flack who laughed.

"Oh, you missed something. Mac thought that the program he had had for us for the last days had worn us so much out that he decided that on our last day it would be nice to drive to Anchorage. It's a nice, big city, and I think you can imagine how Stella reacted." Danny and Lindsay laughed, too. Yes, they could totally imagine Stella's happy look when she could finally have her shopping tour.

When Flack went over into the kitchen to pick something up to eat, Danny leant over to Lindsay and whispered into her ear, "So, are you now sad that you had to stay here while the others went on a shopping trip?"-

"Definitely not." Lindsay whispered back. "I think our program for today was much better." And with that she kissed him, watched by a grinning and happy Flack who was glad that his two friends had finally gotten together.

Sometime later in the evening the whole group met at Mac's house for the last time. It didn't last long until the others also knew that Danny and Lindsay finally were together. As much as they tried to hide it in front of the others, they couldn't hold back how much they were in love with each other. It had been the small gestures between them, like the stolen glances and kisses they gave each other, but none of the others made any comments about that. For them it had been clear anyway that the two had romantically feelings, it was only a question of time until they would be together.

It was their last evening in Alaska, and if they were honest, they all had to admit that they were a little sad about that. The time they had spent together, as friends, not only as the team from the NY crime lab, had brought them closer. They had lived together in small houses, somewhere nowhere in the Alaskan wilderness, they had hiked together, they had done the wild water rafting, and in the evenings they had sat together, talking and having fun. Had anyone of them thought that Mac's idea of spending their time here was bad, they now had completely changed their opinion. This trip had been exactly what they had needed, to have some rest after their hard days full of work, as a team, and especially as friends. And for two of them it had even meant more than that. Both, Danny and Lindsay, knew that if they hadn't been on this trip together, they would not already been together now. The trip to Alaska had been the perfect holiday for all of them.

The team spent the rest of the day together, reviewing the last four days and talking, until they went to bed early. Their plane would start early in the next morning. Danny and Lindsay spent the night together, again in Lindsay's room. This time they only slept, but anyway Lindsay had to admit that it was a wonderful feeling, knowing that there was someone sleeping next to her and waking up with her in the morning. She wondered how it would be when they'd be back in New York, back in their own apartments.

------------------------------------

When the six then woke up the next morning, everyone felt a little sad. They now had to leave this place they had lived at for the last five days. While Danny and Flack were already carrying their suitcases to the van, Lindsay made a final round through the house, soaking in every little bit. Then she went outside and walked over to the place she had sit at next to the river on her first evening, together with Danny. This had been the first time they hadn't just teased each other, the first time they had been close, felt this feeling which was now always present between them. Lindsay couldn't hold back a tear when she realized that they now had to leave, had to go back to their normal life.

"Are you okay, Montana?" She suddenly heard Danny's voice next to her. She hadn't even noticed that he had sat down next to her.

"Yes, I think so." Lindsay replied, although this wasn't what she really thought. Danny seemed to feel that.

"Sure?" He asked. Lindsay first wanted to nod again. But then she realized that this wouldn't make any sense. She wanted to trust in him, and he should also trust in her. So why not saying what she was really thinking?

"I'll miss that all here." She then started. "I mean, we had a really nice time here. I'll miss our little houses, the wonderful landscape, the quiet. Of course I'm looking forward to coming back to New York. But everything here was just so…perfect. And if I'm honest, I'm even a little afraid. Afraid of getting back into our usual life." Danny who had listened to her the whole time, now nodded. He knew what she was talking about. She was afraid that this, their relationship, maybe wouldn't hold when they were back, when their normal life had them back. She was afraid to loose what she here had found. But for him this was completely impossible.

"Lindsay." Danny answered after a while. "I know what you mean, and I totally understand you. Well, I have to say that last night I had the same fear you have now. That this between us wouldn't hold back home. But do you want to know what I'm thinking now? This, the feelings we have for each other, they have been there before, too. We just never had the chance to find out how close we have already been. This trip and the time we spent here just gave us the chance to finally realize that we belong together. And this will not change when we are back, believe me." The longer Lindsay listened to what Danny was saying the more she finally agreed with him. Yes, he was right. It didn't matter where they were, in Alaska or in New York. They loved each other, and this was the only important thing.

When he saw that Lindsay was believing him, Danny stood up and said, "So, lets go to the car, otherwise we'll miss our plane." Lindsay nodded and then followed Danny to the van.

------------------------------------

A few hours later, after a long flight and a ride with a cab Danny and Lindsay finally entered Danny's apartment. On their way back from the airport they had decided that they wanted to spend the rest of the day together.

"Oh, finally back home!" Danny groaned while letting fall his suitcase in the middle of his living room. "Although I'm a little shocked how noisy it is here. I have never noticed that before." Lindsay chuckled. She knew how he was feeling now. It had been the same when she had arrived in New York for the first time. The noises had already driven her crazy.

"You'll get used to it soon." She replied with a smile, stepping in front of him and putting her arms around his neck. "You are a city boy." Danny grinned back.

"Oh yes, I am, and mixed with a countrygirl- a very hot combination."-

"You are so right." Lindsay agreed and then kissed him gently onto his lips.

"I know." Danny said with a grin. Then, after a short moment of silence, just looking at each other Danny added, "Are you still sad that we are back in the city? I mean, I know how much you love being in the country." Lindsay nodded in agreement.

"Yes." She answered. "But here it's nice as well. It was great to be in the nature, it felt a little like home. Well, but only a little. Alaska is not Montana."-

"Do you think I'd like it there?" Danny then asked. Lindsay raised an eyebrow. What did he want to say with that?

"I think, you'd like it there. My family has a farm, with cows and horses, and a huge house. It's wonderful. Why do you ask?" When she saw the grin on Danny's lips she immediately know why he had asked her.

"Well, I think then I know where we could spend our next holidays." He answered while Lindsay's eyes widened.

"Oh, really?" She asked excited. "You would go to Montana with me? But that means that you would meet my parents."-

"Oh, that's no problem for me. As long as your parents like me." Danny said. Lindsay laughed.

"Oh, they'll love you!" She answered, pulling him down to her to kiss him again.

She couldn't believe it! They would travel to Montana. She always had wished that she could show him the place she had grown up, to show him why she still loved her old home. And Danny wouldn't only see where she had grown up, he also would meet her family. Lindsay was so happy that she wanted to hug the whole world. She couldn't wait until she and Danny would go to Montana.

Author's note: This was the last chapter. But, as I already told you, this is not the end of the story.

**The next story will be called "Somewhere in Montana". What will happen when Danny meets Lindsay's family? And will he like the life on a farm with all the animals? We'll see!**


End file.
